The problem with police volunteers who aren't actually cops

Robert Bates, 73, turned
himself in Tuesday morning to face a second-degree manslaughter
charge stemming from when he fatally shot Eric
HarrisTulsa County
Jail

The role of an elderly reserve
sheriff’s deputy in a fatal shooting in Tulsa, Oklahoma has
raised questions about the widespread use of such
volunteers.

Insurance executive Robert Bates, 73, turned
himself in to police Tuesday after a dashcam video of the
confrontation in which he "inadvertently" shot suspect Eric
Harris made headlines. He faces a second-degree homicide charge
for the killing, which took place during an undercover
operation.

Harris's family
questioned the use of Bates in such an undercover
operation. "We do believe something is deeply wrong
with the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office," they said in a
statement.

The practice, which
goes back to the Wild West when citizens were brought in to help
sheriffs nab outlaws, is defended by many in the law enforcement
community.

Peter Moreno, a
28-year NYPD veteran who rose to the rank of captain before
retiring in 2011, told Business Insider that reserve officers are
valuable to law enforcement around the country, especially in
smaller departments that use them to defray costs.

“They’re often used for these undercover type
things [because] they’re not well known,” Moreno explained,
adding that the NYPD often deploys them on underage drinking
stings.

Moreno also explained that most reserve or
auxiliary officers are armed and that training varies across
departments.

Bates is one of more than 100 reserve deputies
used by the TCSO, a department spokesperson recently told
the Tulsa World newspaper, admitting that
many are wealthy benefactors of the force.

Bates is a former police officer, he served one
year on the force in the mid-1960s, but his widely reported
donations in recent years have led to claims he paid to play
cop.

“These people drop four or five grand and dress
up to look like police,” Donna LaMontaine, president of the
Deputy Sheriffs Association of Michigan, told Salon. “I have a
problem with that.”

An auxiliary NYPD officer
attends the funeral of a fellow auxiliary officer. Volunteer cops
wear uniforms and incur the same risks as full-time
police.Getty
Images

The Walker
County (AL) Sheriff’s Office requires all reserves to buy their
own gear and firearms at a total cost of about $500 but does not
require donations, according to the department’swebsite. A message
left by Business Insider seeking further information about the
program has yet to be returned.

Bates’ advanced age is as much a part of the
debate as the path he took to the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office’s
(TCSO) reserve deputy program.

When asked if it was common to
have someone as old as Bates in the line of duty, Moreno said:
“They may not have an age restriction there, they may want to
have one.”

Varying requirements have resulted in a
fractured law enforcement system with no uniform standard for
training, a fact not lost on full-time police
officers.

“I believe the ‘part time’ system of policing is
absolutely ridiculous,” an unnamed officer griped to PoliceOne.com in a comment referenced
in a Washington Post article. "The job has changed
since walking down the street and spinning your baton … We
contend with more anti-police groups, 24/7 video taping, and more
charging and law suit filings then ever before.

“As such, to do this job without a full salary
and full benefits is insane.”

Several celebrities, including NBA great Shaquille O'Neal and
action star Steven Seagal, have also served as reserve deputies,
the Post noted.

It is not clear how much training Bates received
from the TCSO or if anyone within the force ever expressed
concerns about his age or other ability to handle the stresses of
tagging along with the Violent Crimes Task Force, as he did on
the day he shot Harris.

Several messages left by
Business Insider for multiple officials within the department
have yet to be returned.